Smiley – Breakdown
Rising Toronto rapper and OVO Sound artist Smiley announces his forthcoming project Buy or Bye 2 will be released on Friday, November 12th. He also shares “Breakdown,” a sleek new song and accompanying video. The track is laced with tongue-in-cheek boasts and nonchalant, yet evocative depictions of street life, while the video is nocturnal and luxurious, featuring Smiley riding around at night and chilling in a mansion.
Flaunting a nimble delivery, Smiley lets loose flexes over ominous keys and rumbling 808s. “Breakdown” is dark at points but opulent too, with Smiley offering a tour of his bachelor pad: “The view from the room in my crib is amazing, the drive down the hill is so scenic.” The video for “Breakdown” oscillates between Smiley kicking it at a mansion with baddies, and riding a flossy whip, images that evoke the vibes of an artist already comfortable with rap stardom.
With an inimitable flow and instantly memorable bars, “Breakdown” is also the latest evidence that Smiley is an artist rapidly on the rise. In July, he got his biggest look to date when he released “Over the Top,” a braggadocious, Drake-assisted track that raised the eyebrows of new Smiley fans while reaffirming the ones who believed in his colorful raps from the jump. It’s already garnered over 100M streams across the globe since its release. The song won him the attention of critics and tastemakers across the media landscape and since has been covered by the likes of Rolling Stone, COMPLEX, FADER, Billboard, NoJumper, and many more. Now with songs like “Breakdown” at his back, Smiley is ready to continue his ascent.
Buy or Bye 2 Tracklist:
1. When I Die
2. In My Zone
3. Moving Different
4. Venice Beach ft. Golde London
5. 38 ft. Pressa
6. Over The Top ft. Drake
7. Krazy Girl
8. Valet
9. Beat It ft. Yung Bleu
10. Breakdown
11. Streets Fix
12. Ghetto
13. How Can I Miss ft. Ohgeesy
14. Made It
15. Toxic ft. Duvy
ABOUT SMILEY
Toronto rapper Smiley has a knack for drama. The 24-year-old made his name the last few years delivering poisonous rhymes in a soft voice, a captivating tactic that has won him a host of fans across North America and beyond. Whether he’s making terrifying murder ballads like 2018’s “Body” or pop-rap anthems like this year’s “In My Zone,” he demonstrates an eye for details and one of rap’s most unique flows. It’s no surprise he’s caught the attention of one of his city’s biggest stars: Drake. In 2017, Smiley released the menacing “Hit,” sparking online buzz and inspiring Drake’s camp to share the song. The OVO boss would later say that the younger artist’s dark yet colorful work inspired his 2018 epic, Scorpion. Smiley’s string of boundary-pushing tapes in the ensuing years earned him a deal with OVO Sound in 2021, and resulted in “Over the Top,” where Smiley and Drake unite to toast the breakout artist’s come-up. It was a striking introduction for many and became Smiley’s first single to hit the Hot 100. It’s no wonder that, as he prepares his debut album Buy or Bye 2, he’s gearing up to take his sound to the world’s stage. That burst of success afforded him some space to think about what he wants out of music and life. As a result, Buy or Bye 2 shows Smiley at his most confident, celebrating making it out of the hood to live among the stars while working hard to become one in his own right. It’s clear with the success he’s achieved so far, that he’s well on his way.
